A hole-in-one won't be enough to solve this puzzle, the Golf Field. In order to get the ball into the hole, you will need several more steps and a lot of concentration.

The Golf Field is not an entirely new concept, although the golf theme is a very original idea and brings new life to this interesting slide puzzle. The original puzzle was called Domino and I actually have one in my collection as well. Even though I had already solved the Domino, I liked the new theme better, and from a collector's point of view, it's a different puzzle, even if it's just in appearance...

Comprising the puzzle are 11 wooden pieces, excluding the silver ball, occupying an area of 4x5 units (20 in total). It measures 12 x 10cm (4.7" x 3.9") and it comes in a classic wooden box and lid design. To make room for the pieces to slide there's an empty space with 2 units in length. The objective is to get the large green square, carrying the ball, from one end to the other so that the ball rolls down the hole found in the bottom.

The level of difficulty of the puzzle is not that high. It's described as a level 4/5, but I think level 3 would be more fitting, unless this is the first time you'll solve a slide puzzle. There is a slight difference between the Golf Field and the original, which was probably done by the designers to make it easier for casual players - The two smaller green squares should've been one single piece (two units in length) instead of two. Obviously, this'll make the puzzle a little easier, but you have two options if you want to make it more challenging: you can either glue the two pieces together as they should be, or when you're moving them, do it simultaneously as if they were one piece.

I didn't count the total steps required to solve the puzzle, but it was solved within 10 minutes. The sliding movement of the pieces is not that smooth, because their tolerances are a bit tight making them jam against each other, which in turn will make the solving process somewhat slower. Other than that, seeing the silver ball roll down the puzzle is quite a rewarding feeling.

(Click to Enlarge) - Left: Starting Position; Right: Solved Position

Closing Comments:

Without being a golf aficionado, I already have two related golf puzzles - the Golf Field and the Golf Puzzle, also reviewed a couple of months ago. That's not much, but still... I just liked how these puzzles look, and while they're not original concepts, their new designs are enough to give them another try.

Availability: The Golf Field came from Brilliant Puzzles and it has a very affordable price of $12 USD. They also have a few other related golf puzzles. Just type "golf" on their main page search bar.